Improvement in carriage-tops



R. H. WRIGHT.

Carriage Top.

Patented Aprii 6, 1869;.

and s one. s

R. H. WRIGHT, OF NEW BLOOMFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 88,597, dated April 6, 1869. I

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-TOPS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and makingpart 01f the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R. H. WRIGHT, of New Bloomfield, in the county of Perry, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carriage-Tops;. and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which--' Figure l is a perspective view of my improvementin carriage-tops, with the same raised or extended.

Figure 2 isa top view of the same.

Figure 3 is a side view of the same when closed.

My invention is intended for falling-top carriages, and consists in arranging between the bows a series of wires, as hereinafter described, whereby I am enabled to secure the top-cover, so that, instead of falling between the bows, when folded together, as it does at present, it will fold up or out, and hence the top can be raised or lowered when frozen, withoutcracking the leather; and also to prevent the top-cover from assuming a drooping, or concave shape between the bows when raised, as all ordinary tops now do,- in course of time, from shrinkage of the leather, and other causes, and cause it to retain its original regular'oonvex shape permanently.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1 will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

tion.

The bows A, B, C, and D, arc of ordinary construe Passing from the bow-A to the bow B, on the outer side, is a series of parallel elastic wires, a. The ends of said wires. pass through openings, in the cent-reef the bows, to the inner side of the same, Where they are riveted or turned over, thus securing the wires firmly in place.

Encircling, and sliding on the wires to, is a series of curved, or bent wires, b, with their ends secured alternately on the bows O and D.

In covering the bows of the carriage, a very thin pad of cotton should be first laid upon the wires, so as to cause the top to fold nicely when the bows-are drawn together.

It will be seen from the above description, that the wires 7), secured to the how 0, slide over the wires to, and draw the how 0 close to the bow A; and the wires 1), secured to the bow D, slide in the same manner, and. draw the bow D to the bow B, as shown in fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and operation,

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of the wires a, and I) upon the bows A, B, O, and D, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. R. H. WRIGHT. Witnesses: E. 0. Lone,

J. MCILHENNY. 

